Severe burns are some of the most painful injuries imaginable. Patients require daily care to clean the wound and daily physical therapy to stretch the newly healed skin. Despite aggressive use of medication, the majority of burn patients report severe to excruciating pain during wound care.
Large reductions in pain-related brain activity are shown when participants experience SnowWorld.
Imprint Interactive Technology, based in Seattle, WA, designs virtual reality (VR) simulations and games for training, therapy, and medical research. Imprint recently joined forces with a research team lead by Dr. Hunter Hoffman and Dr. David Patterson at the University of Washington’s Harborview Burn Center. Using NVIDIA graphics and Virtools™ 3D software, the teams created an immersive experience called SnowWorld, which is designed to offset excessive pain during therapy by distracting patients. To experience SnowWorld, patients wear a helmet hooked up to the virtual world. SnowWorld gives patients the feeling they are floating through an icy 3D canyon, where they can throw snowballs at various objects, including snowmen, igloos, mammoths, and penguins.
SnowWorld provides immersive interactivity for the patient undergoing therapy.
Controlled studies show an impressive 40-50% reduction in pain ratings when patients are immersed in SnowWorld. According to Dr. Hoffman, “VR pain distraction results are encouraging and a growing number of burn centers around the world are now pioneering the use of SnowWorld with their patients. NVIDIA graphics are helping us transform the way medicine is conducted.”
Beginning December 8th 2006 and running through August 2007, a hands-on demonstration of SnowWorld will be on exhibit at the Smithsonian Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum in Manhattan, New York City.
To learn more about the exhibit, please visit: http://ndm.si.edu.
To learn more about Imprint Interactive Technology, please visit: www.imprintit.com.
Images courtesy of Imprint Interactive Technology and U.W.
Brain scan image by Todd Richards and Aric Bills, U.W., copyright Hunter Hoffman, U.W.
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